QuickShoot Pro: a great way to quickly snap photos and videos

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 11, 2013

Have you ever missed an ideal snapshot as you waited for the Camera app’s animation and UI to finish loading? I think it’s safe to say that all of us have missed a perfect photo as a result of having to wait on the iPhone’s Camera app. Things have gotten considerably better in this regard as hardware speeds have improved, but it’s still not exactly perfect.

QuickShoot Pro is a jailbreak tweak that seeks out to solve the issue by letting you snap photos and videos directly from the Home screen. It accomplishes this feat using a couple of different methods. The first method requires you to double tap on the Camera app icon for a photo, and a triple tap on the app icon for video. By doing this, a photo or video is taken without the Camera UI, hence resulting in a faster composition.

The second method is a simple Activator gesture. You can setup an Activator gesture for taking a photo or starting a new video. QuickShoot Pro features quite a few options that can be used to configure the tweak to your needs and liking. It’s not going to completely reduce the wait time associated with taking a new photo, but it’s certainly faster than the stock method for taking photos and videos. Take a look inside as we break down QuickShoot Pro in our hands on video walkthrough… Read More

 

LookAway Player brings Galaxy S4-like Smart Pause eye-tracking to iPhone

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 10, 2013

Samsung has been promoting its eye-tracking technology, which debuted on the Galaxy S3, for some time now. As an S3 owner, I must say I wasn’t impressed with the handset’s ability to automatically shut down the display when looking away: it’s taxing on the battery and not very reliable. With the Galaxy S4, which is scheduled to go on sale by end of April, Samsung is doubling down on eye-tracking with a few related new features like Smart Scroll and Smart Pause.

And now, a new iPhone app has been released which brings the Smart Pause-like functionality to the iPhone… Read More

 

How to select a specific song from the Lock screen using ‘Pluck’

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 9, 2013

Pluck is a recently released tweak that places a dedicated button on the iPhone’s Lock screen for selecting Music. To view the button, simply invoke the iPhone’s music controls by double pressing the Home button while on the Lock screen. Tapping the button allows you to “pluck” a new track from your Music Library, instead of forcing you to unlock the device and venture into the Music app just to select a specific song.

Once the button is tapped, a new sheet featuring your Music Library is pulled in from the bottom of the screen. This sheet can also be accessed by means of an Activator gesture, which is configurable in Pluck’s preferences. Check inside for a few more details. Read More

 

How to add a Velox style music widget to your iPhone right now

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 9, 2013

Itching to get your hands on Velox? You’re not alone. In the meantime, you may want to give MusicWidget (velox style) a go. It’s a free jailbreak tweak available on Cydia’s BigBoss repo, that lends Velox styled music controls to the stock Music app.

There are no settings or options to configure for MusicWidget, just install it and go. It’s a tweak that works only with iPhones running iOS 6.x. Once installed, a double tap on the Music app icon will reveal music controls in a style similar to the Velox tweak that we showed you earlier. The Music app can be anywhere on your Home screen, it doesn’t have to stay relegated to the dock.

If you decide to take it for a ride, let me know what you think about it.

 

Twitter’s Vine is now App Store’s new #1 free app

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 9, 2013

Here’s a reminder that Vine still exists: just six months after being acquired by Twitter and about two and a half months following its iOS debut, the Vine app is now the number one free software on the App Store. By comparison, Twitter’s own iOS client sits at No. 35.

Vine’s success is no small feat given that App Store charts are normally populated with a bevy of well-known games and entertainment titles which, by the way, command mobile app usage.

What’s more, Vine is a really quirky piece of work: for Christ’s sake, we’re talking an app which lets you share ultra-short six-second clips here. Yet, a bunch of other video sharing programs can only dream of rising on top of App Store charts. So, what’s the secret ingredient Vine has that similar programs lack? Read More

 

iOS 7 toggles concept

By Sebastien Page on Apr 9, 2013

The idea is somewhat similar to Velox, which I still prefer over this concept. At this point, it’s clear that iOS 7 needs an easy way to access toggles. Will Apple make it happen? That’s the question.

What do you think?

 

HBO Go, now with AirPlay multitasking and Games of Thrones interactive enhancements

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 8, 2013

HBO’s free iOS streaming software is a nice companion app provided you’re already subscribed to the service.

And if you believe the continuing ramblings, the Time Warner-owned premium cable network is considering offering additional subscription options in the not-so-distant future, potentially allowing cable-cutters to subscribe to HBO for online-only access.

In the meantime, HBO has updated its Go app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch with two new useful features. The first will appeal to the fans of HBO’s Game of Thrones series as they can now enjoy enhancements related to the show’s interactive experience. The other improvement includes AirPlay multitasking capability. What’s that, you ask? Read More

 

Backup and restore app data, clear caches and more with Icon Tool

By Cody Lee on Apr 6, 2013

What do you get when you take a jailbreak tweak that can clear an app’s notification badges, and cross it with one that can clear its cache, backup and restore its data, and more? Easy, Icon Tool.

Icon Tool is a new tweak by developer ioshack that offers up all of the above-mentioned options in one easy to access menu. Simply put your device into wiggle mode, and triple tap on an app icon… Read More

 

Upcoming Auxo update adds new toggles, bug fixes, and more

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 5, 2013

A nice little surprise landed in my inbox today: a preview copy of Auxo 1.4. It’s a release that brings new toggles, options, and bug fixes to one of my favorite jailbreak tweaks. To begin, let me just tell you that Auxo 1.4 isn’t a groundbreaking new release, but you will be happy to find a refined experience when compared to earlier iterations of the tweak.

Take a look inside as I go hands on with Auxo 1.4, covering some of the biggest new features that you can expect to see when the update is officially released on Cydia. Read More

 

New iOS 7 concept shows off quick reply, widgets and other features

By Cody Lee on Apr 5, 2013

Word has it that iOS 7 is going be receiving a system-wide makeover, courtesy of the human interface team’s new leader Jony Ive. The changes are reportedly so big that developers with ‘carry’ privileges have a filter on their devices to conceal them.

Of course, we won’t know what iOS 7 really looks like until Apple unveils it this summer. But that’s not going to stop designers from creating concepts that illustrate what they think it could look like. And we’ve got another great one for you today… Read More

 

‘TouchPal’ is a free Swype inspired jailbreak tweak

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 4, 2013

TouchPal is a very under the radar jailbreak tweak that allows users to replace their stock iOS keyboards to a new Swype inspired keyboard that’s downloadable from the App Store. I know that probably sounds a bit odd, so let me explain a bit.

TouchPal is actually two different things. First, it’s a legitimate App Store app that can be downloaded by anyone, whether or not they are on a jailbroken device or not. The standalone app was created as a multi-language keyboard that allows you to have accurate predictive text by means of standard taps on keys, or swipe gestures, which are inspired by Swype.

Unfortunately, by itself, you can only use TouchPal as a standalone app, and then copy that text to other applications, or take advantage of an app’s built in URL scheme for inter-app communication. The good news is, that there’s a second part to this puzzle piece, and it comes in the form of a jailbreak tweak that’s adorned by the same name — TouchPal. This jailbreak tweak allows you to incorporate the keyboards featured in the standalone app, right into stock iOS. This means that you can use the TouchPal keyboard within normal apps like Notes, Mail, Safari, and any other app that you use on your iPhone.

Needless to say, TouchPal is really neat. Take a look inside as I demonstrate how it works in our full video walkthrough. Read More

 

Rdio launches new Vdio streaming video service

By Cody Lee on Apr 3, 2013

Last week we heard a rumor that music subscription service Spotify was looking to get into the streaming video space. But it looks like their rival has beat them to it. Today, Rdio has launched its own streaming video service called Vdio.

But unlike what we heard about Spotify’s plans, Vdio doesn’t really look like a Netflix competitor. It’s actually a lot more like iTunes, in that it will let you rent and purchase videos from the service and then stream them to your devices… Read More

 

‘Pinnacle’ lets you easily navigate the Settings app menu structure

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 2, 2013

Pinnacle is a new jailbreak tweak designed to peruse the menu structure of the Settings app using a simple tap and hold gesture. The tweak contains an option that allows you to immediately go back to the root of the Settings menu, or to select from a list of sub-menus. To use Pinnacle, simply tap and hold on the current menu’s back button.

Obviously, a tweak like this is best suited for deep menu structures like you’ll find in the Settings app, but Pinnacle also works with any app that uses iOS’ stock chrome menu interface for navigation. I look at it as a different take on Ryan Petrich’s SwipeBack tweak. Read More

 

Funny or Die’s iSteve trailer hits the web

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 2, 2013


Funny or Die production, the popular comedy web site founded by Will Ferrel’s production company, last month announced work on a full-length Steve Jobs movie dubbed iSteve and starring Justin Long as Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs. With the first official trailer having been posted to the Funny or Die web site, it looks as if this flick is actually a more serious depiction of Steve Jobs rather than a typical Funny or Die comedy production… Read More

 

I just tested out a very early version of Badger

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 1, 2013

My first look at a very early version of Badger. What do you think?

 

Meet Mittens, Disney’s new physics-based puzzler

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 30, 2013

Who would have thought Disney Interactive would ever produce a smash hit for the iPhone? Seemingly against all odds, that’s exactly what the company has accomplished with its charming puzzler, Where’s My Water? (free, $0.99 universal). The game knocked Rovio’s Angry Birds off the top spot on the App Store’s list of paid apps just 24 hours following its release and ratcheted up a million downloads in its first month of release, enough to score an Apple Design Award for iPhone apps.

Where’s My Water? was also Apple’s 25 billionth app download and was featured in a free download promotion. Disney, of course, wasted no time building a merchandising business around the game. But that was 2012. Now in 2013, Disney is looking to replicate its success with a brand new physics-based puzzler involving kittens and aptly named Mittens. Have a look at the official trailer and jump past the fold for additional info… Read More

 

How to embed Vine clips in web pages

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 29, 2013

Twitter’s Vine is fine for random sharing of six-second videos and today they issued an interesting new update promising to make embedding own or someone else’s clips easy as a pie. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

The new version won’t let you just grab an embed code in-app. For reasons beyond our comprehension, the software sends you to a special web page where the embed code can be created.

It’s not the end of the world, but the solution is cumbersome and inelegant, though it works. To start injecting those beautiful Vines into your blog posts, web pages, email newsletters or pretty much into any other other type of HTML content, just follow our quick guide and you should be fine… Read More

 

Vine update lets you embed videos on web pages

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 29, 2013

Twitter’s Vine app has seen just one noteworthy refresh following its January 24 arrival, one giving it a 17+ age rating shortly after the Internet’s morality police cautioned about porn content surfacing in Vine’s Editor’s Pick, a flaw the app makers attributed to a “human error.”

Now, I love Vine and even though I’m not a regular user, I find myself occasionally recording and sharing a quick clip.

It always bugged me that tweeting out those links used to be my only choice to share Vines with the web at large – of course, in addition to Facebook and shares through the Vine service itself. But what about embedding a Vine on your blog? Well, I’m pleased to report that today’s update has made Vine a whole lot more useful for a bunch of people: the new version includes web embeds, letting you easily inject your own or other people’s videos into blog posts… Read More

 

Sentry’s new App Switching concept makes it easier to move between apps

By Cody Lee on Mar 27, 2013

We’re always in search of ways that iOS can be improved, which is why you’ll see a number of iOS concepts and ideas on iDB that are aimed at making Apple’s mobile operating system better. Take this recent one on multitasking, for example. It’s beautiful.

But not all concepts attempt to make iOS better-looking—some try to make it more functional. And that’s the idea behind today’s concept. It takes the current app switcher, and makes it more efficient by allowing faster access to more of your suspended apps… Read More

 

Way to go promoting a beer brand, Carlsberg!

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 27, 2013

So along comes Carlsberg with a novel idea: how about we market a new cider brand by piggy-backing on Apple’s popularity subtly? The results of the company’s brainstorming are, well, hilarious and downright amazing – as you can see for yourself.

The creative concept calls for a tongue-in-cheek reenactment of an Apple-like product launch hype, down to the line sitters, an Apple Store-like environment, lots of cheering and clapping and Carlsberg’ version of Geniuses.

You gotta love the ambiguous use of tech jargon and the obligatory Apple superlatives like “amazing”. My favorite line: “works perfectly in direct sunlight”… Read More

 
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